We talked to James Gross, Professor with the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science School of KTH Royal Institute of Technology. James is also Associate Director of Digital Futures and a co-director of KTH’s competence centre on edge computing TECoSA.
Hi James, describe your role at Digital Futures?
– My main focus is on external partner relations. We are for the moment very busy reaching out to companies and other societal stakeholders to make them aware of Digital Futures and in particular of our Industrial and Societal Partnership Programme. Our intention with this program is to build up an ecosystem of many different stakeholders around Digital Futures, allowing the stakeholders to leverage the strength and assets of Digital Futures in the most beneficial way. At the same time, for Digital Futures the program is the main instrument to facilitate industrial and societal impact. We – the Governing Board and Executive Committee – are committed to delivering this type of impact, in addition to scientific and educational impact!
If companies/industries would like to start collaborating with Digital Futures – what should they do?
– Ideally, reach out to me or to Anna Kiefer, our COO. We are more than happy to get-to-know companies, and run them through the basics of Digital Futures and its offering for industry/society.
Your research interests are in the area of mobile systems & networks, with a focus on critical machine-to-machine communications, cellular networks, resource allocation as well as performance evaluation methods – why did you decide to focus on these topics?
– To me, networks and mobile systems in particular are fascinating, as any major innovation in this area is always associated with a global impact on societies. Many technological advances in the general IT domain are often delivered by communication networks. So, you always have to think in terms of multiple dimensions, the dimensions of the core advancement as well as the most efficient way of delivering the advancement by a network. One may ask, what type of apps and gadgets will we be surrounded with in 10 years? How will we live in 10 years? And then you start backtracking this in terms of networking challenges to realize the vision. This is always challenging and exciting at the same time!
Finally, tell us a little bit about yourself!
– I am originally from Germany, but enjoy being in Sweden now for a while. In my private time, I am always in for an endurance work-out, running, biking, ice-skating etc. If I could choose to witness one day in the evolution of mankind, I would like to be moved forward in time to the day we get in contact with an extra-terrestrial intelligence.
